Calgary public school board adds fall break, pulls plug on year-round school system

Sign outside of the Calgary Board of Education main offices in downtown Calgary. (file)

The Calgary Board of Education will transition nearly all schools that had been operating on a modified year-round calendar to the traditional schedule beginning in the fall of 2023.

CBE chief superintendent of schools Christopher Usih announced the change in a letter to parents and guardians sent Thursday.

A fall break, scheduled for Nov. 9 through 15, 2023, has been added and will be observed at all schools on the traditional calendar.

Nearly 30 schools have been on a modified mid-August through late June calendar, commonly known as year-round school, that offered an additional break in October as well as extended breaks in the winter and spring.

"We recognize that this decision does require staff and families to make adjustments in preparing for the 2023-24 school year," said Usih in his letter. "The CBE is committed to working collaboratively with school leaders and staff at modified-calendar schools to provide a smooth transition for families affected by this decision."

According to Usih, the decision to adjust the calendar was made after the CBE gathered feedback from students, staff and parents as well as analysis that suggested student achievement and attendance rates did not improve under a modified schedule.

Usih adds that the calendar will not be altered for unique-setting schools, which include:

• Children's Village;
• Dr. Gordon Townsend;
• Dr. Oakley;
• Emily Follensbee;
• William Roper Hull;
• George Wood Learning Centre; and,
• William Taylor Learning Centre.

For additional information on the CBE's decision visit Changes to CBE School Calendars.